2025 Volume 13 Issue 1 Pages 68-83
This study employed structural equation modeling to analyze the impact of the "rural living program" on rural decline, population decrease, and the necessity of the program. The rural living program, a social program that provides participants with opportunities to reside in rural areas for short or long periods and form relationships with the local community, has been recognized as a key approach to securing the "relational population" in response to rural extinction. Analyzing young people in their 20s and 30s, who have a high potential as a relational population due to recent migration and increased interest in rural areas, the following findings were observed. Firstly, the rural living program facilitated a shift in perception among young people toward rural areas. Particularly, it had a significant impact on their positive perception of the physical environment of underdeveloped rural areas. Secondly, it was observed that the sense of community formed through the program influenced the formation of relational population. Young people formed relationships with the local community and residents, developing a sense of belonging, interaction, and attachment to the area through the program. Thirdly, while the program did not have a direct impact on the formation of relational population, it facilitated the formation of relational population by mediating through the developed sense of community. To validate the results, interviews were conducted with 10 young people who participated in the program, revealing their desire to establish relationships with the local community and their intention to revisit in the future.
